FarmRover
Autonomous ground rover for smallholder farms
Overview
Millions of smallholder farmers across Africa rely almost entirely on manual labour to plant, tend, and harvest their crops. FarmRover is our answer: an autonomous ground robot that can navigate diverse terrains, perform precision tasks, and drastically reduce the physical burden on farmers — all at a price point accessible to the communities that need it most.
Why It Matters
Manual labour remains the biggest bottleneck in smallholder agriculture. Farmers spend hours each day on physically demanding, repetitive tasks that could be automated. FarmRover aims to free that time for higher-value activities while improving consistency and precision.
- Reduces dependence on manual farm labour by up to 60%
- Enables precision planting and weeding at scale
- Designed for affordability and community-level ownership
Tech & Innovation
FarmRover combines rugged hardware with intelligent software to operate autonomously across challenging farm environments.
- Multi-terrain navigation: handles muddy, uneven, and rocky surfaces
- Onboard sensors for obstacle detection and path planning
- Solar-assisted battery for extended field operation
- Modular tool attachments for planting, weeding, and spraying
- Remote monitoring and control via smartphone app
Potential Impact
By automating the most labour-intensive parts of farming, FarmRover will enable smallholders to farm larger areas, increase yields, and reduce physical strain — particularly for women and older farmers who make up a significant portion of Africa's agricultural workforce.
- Direct benefit to 10,000+ smallholder farms in pilot regions
- Estimated 30-50% improvement in farming efficiency
- Reduction in post-planting crop failure through precision seeding